Diverse Training: 9 Workplace Inclusion Approaches

All types of diversity training have become a valuable investment for companies. These trainings create a more successful and ethical workplace that benefits everyone. According to the Pew Research Center, 53% of workers who took DEI training said it was helpful.

What is diversity training?

Diversity training is designed to help employees understand and appreciate diversity in the workplace. Through the training, employees learn to recognize and overcome their prejudices and to deal effectively with people from different backgrounds. They also learn how they can help create a more inclusive work environment.

The benefits of different types of diversity training

• Training helps create a workplace where everyone feels respected and valued for their contributions. A positive corporate culture promotes employee engagement, satisfaction and productivity and ultimately reduces turnover.

Quantum Workplace reports that employees who view their company culture as positive are 3.8 times more likely to be engaged. When employees view their company culture as positive, they are more likely to be highly engaged (84%).

• Training helps ensure that all employees are heard and considered, which opens up a wider range of perspectives and leads to more creative solutions, better decisions and higher profits. A LinkedIn report shows:

1. In the study, 60% of respondents said that diversity within their sales team contributed to their team's success.
2. Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity have a +25% chance of performing better financially than their competitors.
3. Companies in the top quartile for ethnic diversity have a +36% probability of better financial performance.
4. Diverse companies achieve 2.5x higher cash flow per employee.
5. Diverse teams make better decisions 87% of the time.

• Different types of diversity training and development demonstrate the company's commitment to diversity and inclusion, attract more diverse applicants and strengthen the employer brand.
• Training helps prevent discriminatory behavior, create a safer and fairer work environment, and protect the company from lawsuits and reputational harm.
• Training helps companies embrace diversity, which helps them become more competitive in a global marketplace. This allows them to engage with a broader range of customers and partners and develop products and services that appeal to a more diverse market.

9 Types of Diversity and Inclusion Training

1.AWARENESS TRAINING

In this course you will first learn something about diversity. Basic terms like race, gender, age, ethnicity, and more are covered here. You'll also learn about the benefits of a diverse workplace, such as: more creativity, better problem solving and more innovation. The course also addresses important elements of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) such as empathy, belonging and psychological safety. You'll also get practical strategies and tips for applying DEI in your work.

2.SKILL-ORIENTED TRAINING

Once employees are aware of this, they need to develop skills for dealing with people from different backgrounds. This includes learning to actively listen, show empathy and communicate effectively across different cultures. It also teaches how to resolve conflicts, intervene as support and behave respectfully.

3.TRAINING IN UNCONSCIOUS BIAS

Unconscious bias training helps identify and deal with biases that can influence everyday decisions. Different types of bias, prejudice and stereotypes are discussed. In this way, employees learn about their own biases and how to overcome them.

4.INTEGRATIVE LEADERSHIP

Inclusive leadership helps managers treat all employees well, regardless of who they are. In this way, managers learn how to conduct interviews, lead meetings, distribute tasks and communicate with different groups of people.

5.CULTURAL COMPETENCE

Cultural competency teaches employees about different cultures, history, traditions, beliefs and the way people communicate. This helps employees better understand their own cultural values, biases and assumptions. When working with colleagues from different backgrounds, they learn about different ways of communicating, cultural practices and beliefs. This makes them more open-minded and respectful towards their colleagues.

6.MICROAGGRESSIONS

This training helps participants recognize and avoid microaggressions. These are small, unintentional actions that can hurt someone because of their race, age, gender or origin. It explains what microaggressions are and how they affect relationships. It is also about how prejudices arise and how one can react to them.

7.INTERMEDIATE DIVERSITY TRAINING

This type of training focuses on and deepens the different aspects of diversity. So it includes:

• Gender bias
• Inclusion of disabilities
• Religion, spirituality and worldview
• LGBTQ inclusion
• Allies
• Neurodiversity
• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

In addition, various concepts related to these DEI concepts, prejudice and discrimination against them, and inclusive measures to take them into account are covered.

8.SPECIALIZED TRAINING

Specialized training aims to incorporate diversity principles into everyday workplace tasks, such as: in hiring, welcoming new employees, supporting their development, setting salaries and benefits, and training managers. The goal is to build and apply important diversity skills in regular work tasks.

9.ANTI-HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION TRAINING

This training provides knowledge of anti-discrimination laws and regulations, dealing with offensive behavior, dealing with the effects of bullying and harassment, and creating policies to combat harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

DEI training provider

1.EASY LLAMA

Their DEI training catalog offers courses on the following topics:

• Diversity and inclusion
• Microaggression
• Unconscious prejudices
• Cultural competence
• Religion, spirituality and beliefs
• American Persons with Disabilities Act

Plus, these courses can be completed in 30 minutes and are available in 100 languages. Participants can access the courses using mobile devices and receive a certificate after completing the courses.

2.TRAILANT

Trailant offers DEI training in bite-sized chunks for small businesses and can be tailored to any industry.

Their DEI training catalog offers courses on the following topics:

• Cultural competence
• Diversity, equity and inclusion training in the workplace
• Including language training
• LGBTQ+ inclusion
• Microaggressions and subtle acts of exclusion
• Religion, spirituality and beliefs

Additionally, they also offer DEI training specifically for healthcare.

The courses last between 25 and 30 minutes. They also offer two three-minute videos called Trailaint Sparks to complement the main training, remind people of DEI, and start conversations.

3.PRISM

Prism uses its PRISM diversity delivery process, which consists of training programs, consulting, and team meetings to address the question, "What can I do differently to be more successful and achieve results in my area of responsibility?" They view DEI as part of the company’s goals.

Their DEI training catalog offers courses in the following areas:

• No. 1: Inclusion and diversity training for managers
• No. 2: Inclusion & diversity training for supervisors and managers
• No. 3: Inclusion & Diversity Training for Customer Service
• No. 4: Inclusion and diversity training for HR managers
• No. 5: Integration & Diversity Training for multicultural and multilingual workplaces
• No. 6: Integration & Diversity Training for everyone
• No. 7: Inclusion and diversity training for ERGs and diversity councils

They also offer courses via eLearning and blended learning.

4.AFFIRMITY

The training is available in microlearning format, which includes animated videos, interactive eLearning and simulations. They can also be tailored to the organization's culture and values:

• Digital solutions for managers help managers start and continue the DEI conversation:

1. Recruiter bias
2. Talent Acquisition Nudges
3. Career planning nudges
4. Allyship Nudges
5. Performance management nudges
6. Including behaviors
7. Impostor syndrome
8. LGBTQ+
9. Sounds of Disabilities
10. Microaggressions

• Digital solutions for all employees

1. Inclusion and you
2. Explore prejudices
3. Neurodiversity
4. Encouragement of allyship, introductions and topic-specific learning
5. LGBTQ+
6. Sounds of Disabilities
7. Microaggressions
8. Dealing with unconscious bias eLearning
9. Principles of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion eLearning

5. EW GROUP

EW tailors training programs, delivers them virtually or in person, and supports them with e-learning modules.

The company offers the following courses:

1. Anti-racism training and allies
2. Anti-harassment and discrimination
3. EDI compliance
4. Mental Health and Wellness
5. Neurodiversity
6. Gender identity and equality

The company also offers a train-the-trainer course to build DEI expertise within the company. You can also design customized DEI training programs according to the company's needs.

Tips for conducting successful diversity training

1.DEFINE YOUR GOALS

What do you as an employer or HR department want to achieve with this training? Is it about raising awareness, creating greater understanding and respect between employees with different identities, or introducing more inclusive practices? Do you want to reduce the number of cases of discrimination and harassment in your company?

If you don't know where to start, survey your employees. So consider focus groups or a training needs assessment. Then use their feedback to understand your current culture and what they think about your current DEI strategies. They can also uncover and identify biases and inequalities within your organization.

2.GET SUPPORT FROM LEADERSHIP

According to the CIPD Inclusion at Work report, 47% of senior decision makers do not have a diversity, equality and inclusion strategy or action plan in place. And 36% of companies do not expect to focus on specific DEI areas in the next five years, indicating a lack of consensus on their DEI plans.

Additionally, as an HR manager, you should start DEI conversations with senior management because without their budget and buy-in, you will not be able to deliver successful DEI training.

Therefore, it is important to meet with the leadership team and explain why you need diversity training in the company. Also, be sure to highlight the benefits of investing in DEI training and provide a clear plan (or at least an outline) of the diversity program to give them an idea and gain their support.

3.RESEARCH AND EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL PROVIDERS

When choosing a DEI training provider, you should choose one that has experience with various training programs. So check their history and ask for references. Also make sure trainers have the right DEI and training credentials.

You should also think about what the training covers and how it will be delivered. Does it cover what you need? Can it be adapted to your organization? Will it take place online or in person? Also consider how your employees like to learn: Do they prefer to use their phone in their free time, or would it be better to reserve working time for training?

4.ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

After you've made a list of the training providers you're considering and scheduled a meeting with them, ask how they handle data and measurement. So ask how they will verify that the training is working and whether they can provide you with a dashboard or metrics to track progress.

Also ask about the company's commitment to ongoing support and follow-up. In addition to training, does the provider also offer coaching or resources to help employees put what they have learned into action and maintain the new behavior?

Finally, you should compare prices and packages. Get offers and consider what value the investment has for you.

5.CONSIDER IF A TRAINING PROVIDER CAN TRAIN YOUR HR TEAM.

It is more beneficial if the company's HR or L&D team can deliver DEI training over time. This allows the company to maximize its training budget and potentially get more value out of it by using in-house experts instead of using external providers.

In addition, a trained HR team can quickly make the training available to all employees in the company. They are very knowledgeable and can also solve problems related to diversity and inclusion. In addition, they can adapt the training to the company's values and image.

6.CONDUCT POST-TRAINING EVALUATION

Evaluating the effectiveness of training is critical to ensuring you achieve your DEI goals and get your return on investment.

Always get feedback from employees. So ask them if they understood the content, if they liked the way the training was delivered, and if they are overall satisfied. Then observe how employees behave to see if there are improvements. Also check whether the training continues to have an impact months or even years later.

Finally, you should check whether the training is achieving what you wanted. Have more diverse employees been hired? Were there fewer departures from certain groups or from different backgrounds? Has the pay gap been eliminated? Was there also less bullying or harassment?

Implementing diverse training is key for fostering inclusive workplaces. Leverage insights from various types and providers, like IceHrm, for impactful strategies.